The National tribune., 1887-03-17
PRIVATE DALZELL
On the Presidents Veto and Brags's BrsggadOei
in Congress.


In Congress.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I wish those
who indOrse and approve the brutal veto of tho
general-debility pension bill could have wit
messed the sights / have seen these last 10
years here in my country law Office and at
my humble home. Then, with such striking
evidences of the need of such relief as this bill
proposed, if they could still withhold from its
generous and patriotic provisions their SYM
pathes and support, they would only furnish
the last proof required 70 demonstrate that
they were fends and not men. The soldiers
come to me as to a brother, from near and far,
because | never ask them for money / do not
therefore, speak a claim agent disappointed
of his wretched fees for obtaining pensions
under the disability bill. / speak as a COM
rade in the Grand Army Of the Republic who
fought as private in the ranks of the Union
Army, yet as one who processes to know as
much of the pension laws and OF the soldiers
wants as any man who walks the green
fOotstOol of God. In this / ask no odds of any
man, from the President down, and all the SOL
diers know that this is true. i speak fully
advised in the premises when / say that the
President, the 125 in the House, and the met
ropolitan press have done the soldiers a griev-
Gus and irreparable wrOng-sOme of them
knowingly and because they hate us; others
because of lack of correct information, and be-
cause they were misled by the verbose sophistry
and unsupported statements of the Presidents
veto message.
The curse of God rest upon all the authors
of this wrong Nor do / speak thus severely
of the perpetrators Of this outrage from the
standpoint of a soldier who expected or desired
| any benefit from the bill. / am, fortunately, so
situated in life that | would never have been
placed on the pension rolls by this act. come
what may, for i have abundance Of property TO
keep me out of the aimshOuse until die.
No. sir; but / speak for other men, and bet
ter far than you OF l. who are not scOundrels,
scalawags, coffee coolers such as Bragg. of
Wisconsin, characterizes them-but better men
than he or Cleveland ever were. Yet as poor
as any Christ died to save
/ see them now-pale. in rags, with largo
families, crushed with poverty aud premature
age, the heroes Of Atlanta and AppOmattOx,
men whom / could name by the score, who did
more to pat down the rebellion on the nights
Of Missionary Ridge, or the parapets of Fort
Gregg, and in hundred battles, than all its
Bri gaders out of hell-Bragg included.
/ knew those men well. The country knows
/ them. They do not make speeches. They
/ do not blow about riding along the line
/ Shame on the Falstaf who does They came
home meekly and quietly, woruOus prema-
| turely. Their voices are not heard on the cor
ner among the jawsmiths. They are dying,
| slowly, dying of disease. neglect, grief. aud
| poverty; and now Ossa is piled upon PeliOn.
noun tain on mountain of sorrow. and insult
added to injury, as Que or two Northern Briga-
/ diers Join the solid South in moCkng their mis-
| cry. 10 is a shame. and all the men who did it
deserve the deepest. hottest abyss of a thousand
blazing hels.-PRIvATE DALzELI.. Caldwell, D.